Posts

7 days in healthcare (January 22nd-28th, 2024)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, highlight the article by Dr. Topol, famous American cardiologist and doctor, who says how generative AI can contribute to significantly reducing medical errors, which cause hundreds of thousands of deaths a year in the United States and around the world. An initial cancer screening seems to be making its way through a simple blood test, taking advantage of the sharing of certain molecular characteristics in all cancers. The University of Gothenburg in Sweden is developing a blood test for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

With regard to Global Health, an editorial in The Lancet refers to the economic problems in low- and middle-income countries in addressing health expenditures, given the great weight of debt interest, which is why it proposes as a solution its condonation. The first mass malaria vaccination begins in Africa. Universal healthcare in Tanzania. Universal coverage, long exclusive to Europe and high-income countries (with the exception of the United States), is now spreading to developing countries as well.

In terms of International Health Policy, the next American elections in 2024 already show what could be the priority issues during the campaign for Democrats and Republicans. For the former, reducing the high price of prescription drugs and women’s health (with pro-choice options); for Republicans, overcoming covid-19 and drug overdose. It does not seem that the repeal of Obamacare, which has reached a record of 21 million affiliates, is going to be a priority in the Republican campaign.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), presentation by Minister Mónica García of her priorities in the Congressional health commission. Laws against alcohol consumption in young people and to protect direct public management in public healthcare. Announcement of the legalization of cannabis and increase in the portfolio of services in “dental” and “visual health”. The imminent approval of the Public Health Agency and the reform of the Framework Statute in 2024 are announced. In relation to this last point, it was announced that negotiations are being carried out with the unions and the communities. And what about the professionals? Don’t they have anything to say on this topic? Important announcement by the Ministry of the genetic portfolio of the National Health System, to be launched gradually throughout 2024. Health maps are being reformed and simplified in several communities: Aragón, Cantabria, Valencian Community and Asturias . It is striking that the reforms are promoted by PP governments in the first three communities, while the reform in Asturias, sponsored by a PSOE government, is opposed by the PP. Catalonia promotes the discussion of a National Health Pact. Among other issues, the elimination of the statutory personnel regime is proposed. Possibly this change cannot be made legally from an autonomous community, but the much-needed idea and the opening of the discussion are welcome.

As for Companies, at the international level, Novo Nordisk and Lilly find themselves with a new player in their battle regarding obesity: the Danish biotech company Zeland Pharma. When it comes to national news, the problems with Grifols continue. Interesting article in Expansión on professionalization and corporate governance in family businesses.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

  • USA
    • Article in JAMA: Focus on health problems in the 2024 American elections. It seems that health care is going to be very present in the American elections. Democrats’ issues are lowering prescription drug prices and women’s health (with pro-choice options); while the Republican issues are overcoming covid-19 and drug overdoses and border control policies in this regard. Despite Trump’s criticism of the Obamacare law, repealing the law is unlikely to be made a campaign priority (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2814471)
    • Obamacare enrollment boom, reaching 21 million in 2024 (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/us/politics/obamacare-open-enrollment.html)

National health policy

Companies

 

 

7 days in healthcare (May 29th-June 4th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it is worth noting the death of the virologist Harald sur Hausen, whose name will not mean anything to many, but who 50 years ago discovered the relationship between papillomavirus and cervical cancer, initiating studies of the relationship between viruses and cancer. Reading the DNA of a large and highly varied number of primates allows us to better understand what a human person is and the origin of some diseases. An international consortium discovers that the nucleus of cells is metabolically active.

As regards Global Health, The Economist focuses on the decline in global fertility, due to a decrease in births, not an increase in deaths, a fact with great consequences in our societies. The WHO puts a target by means of cheap vaccines to the global vaccination against cervical cancer, which still produces a large number of deaths. The UN warns about the great sources of hunger in the world: Haiti, Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan.

Regarding International Health Policy, Canada is preparing a regulation that will make it mandatory to carry warnings of negative health effects on each cigarette. The EU finalizes a regulation to remunerate plasma donations. The WHO celebrates the 76th World Assembly in Switzerland, in which several topics were discussed, among others, the next UN High-Level meeting on universal health coverage, to be held on September 23.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the call for early elections for July 23 paralyzes the processing of more than 60 laws in relation to health, including some as important as the Equity Law, the Framework Statute, the Law of the National Agency of Public Health or the Law of Guarantees and Rational Use of Medicines. In the Valencian Community, Mazón (the winning candidate of the PP in that Community and foreseeable new president) announces the freezing of the reversal process of the concessions of Manises, Denia and Elche, which had already started or were planned by the Ximo Puig government. He also doesn’t rule out launching new concessions. The Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation, awarded to the non-profit initiative Medicines for Neglected Diseases, which focuses not on rare diseases, but on highly prevalent diseases, especially in underdeveloped countries, such as Chagas disease, dengue fever, kala-azar or river blindness and which are considered to affect around 1,000-1,500 million people in those countries, without any research, industry or commercial effort commensurate with their importance.

In the field of Companies, internationally, China breaks the veto on Western vaccines and will allow Moderna to settle in that country. For its part, AstraZeneca defies geopolitical challenges and intends to grow in China. At the national level, Zurich joins forces with Google and DKV to launch digital health insurance. Quirónsalud intends to grow in telemedicine and closes a contract to serve university students.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

  • France
    • Tobacco use is stable in France, one in four adults smokes daily (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2023/05/31/avec-un-adulte-sur-quatre-qui-smoke-quotidiennement-le-tabagisme-reste-stable-en-france_6175491_1651302.html#:~:text=Tabac-,Tabac%20%3A%20avec%20un%20adulte%20sur%20quatre%20qui%20fume%20quotidiennement%2C% twenty)
  • Canada
    • Canada is going to require that a warning about the danger be printed on each cigarette, since it has been seen that young people start smoking when they receive the offer not of a pack, but of a cigarette (https://www.lemonde. fr/international/article/2023/05/31/le-canada-va-demiger-qu-un-avertissement-soit-imprime-sur-chaque-cigarette_6175630_3210.html)

National health policy

Companies